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Geology topics

Charles Lee McGuinness

Publications and source records attributed to Charles Lee McGuinness.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

The role of ground water in the national water situation: With state summaries based on reports by District Offices of Ground Water Branch

Ground water in the United States has emerged from a quantitatively minor (though incalculably valuable) water source, whose chief role was in the settlement of primitive areas, to a major source now accounting for one-fifth to one-sixth of the Nation's total withdrawal requirements for water. With the growth in ground-water withdrawals is an accompanying growth in the realization that large-scale development of ground water is feasible only on the basis of a fuller understanding than has existed to date of the complex interrelations of the hydrologic cycle and of ground water's place in the cycle This report outlines briefly the principles of water occurrence and describes the water situation in the United States as of 1960-61, with emphasis on the occurrence of ground water and the status of development and accompanying problems. The Nation has been divided into 10 major ground-water regions by H. E. Thomas (1952a). The report summarizes the occurrence and development of ground water in each of Thomas' regions. In a large terminal section it also describes the occurrence and development of water, again with emphasis on ground water, in each of the 50 States and in certain other areas. The main text ends with a discussion of the water situation and prospects of the Nation.

Water Supply Paper

Geology and ground-water resources of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, the easternmost and smallest of the Greater Antilles, has an axis of deformed and metamorphosed volcanic rocks of Upper Cretaceous age, intruded by dioritic rocks during the Antillean revolution. The hard-rock core is flanked on the north and south by limestones and clastic rocks of late Oligocene and early Miocene age, which have been gently arched and uplifted. Similar rocks were deposited in late Miocene or early Pliocene time along the west coast. During the Quaternary the island has been separated from the other major Antillean islands by faulting and has been arched, uplifted, and tilted to the northeast. Alluvium and littoral deposits have partially filled the valleys and have formed coastal plains on the north and south. The Upper Cretaceous volcanic and associated rocks yield small supplies of water to wells in most places. The Tertiary limestones yield large supplies in some places on the north, south, and west coasts. The Quaternary sands and gravels are the most important aquifers. They yield about 200 million gallons a day to wells in the main south coastal plain alone. The water is used largely for irrigation. A total of perhaps 250 to 300 million gallons a day is pumped from wells in the island, and moderate to large additional supplies are available in some places.

Puerto Rico